Hotel group Accor opened its latest Novotel
in London this
week, hailing it as the flagship property for the New Generation brand.
Located behind Paddington Station in Paddington Central, a mixed-use development, the hotel shares its grounds with residential towers, several office buildings and a handful of restaurants and cafes alongside Regent’s Canal.
General manager Nicolas Lazarou said: “This is the flagship hotel for Novotel so everything you see here will eventually be in all the New Generation Novotels.”
The hotel offers 206 en-suite rooms (including three suites which will be completed in three weeks time), Elements restaurant, with TV dining pods for lone diners, and a flexible menu offering courses in any size you like. There are also eight meeting rooms on the mezzanine level upstairs from the lobby and a break out area both inside and onto a terrace, which will also be completed in three weeks time.
A big bonus for the weary traveller is the leisure facilities. There’s a spacious gym with cardiovascular machines with TVs, and an eight-metre swimming pool with sauna and steam room.
Lazarou added: “This is the first Novotel to offer the In Balance Wellness centre and being so close to Paddington [and the Heathrow Express link to Heathrow] it’s perfect for both business and leisure travellers.”
The lobby has two Apple Mac computer stations for guests to use the internet free of charge for twenty minutes.
Apart from the suites, all rooms are the same size (around 28sqm) and have 26-inch flatscreen TVs, queen-size beds (with two pillow options), a sofa bed, wifi access (charged at £14.99 for 24 hours) and also access to the internet through a keyboard linked wirelessly to the TV. Bathrooms have separate bath and shower (57 rooms have rain showers only), and Accor branded toiletries. All rooms also have tea and coffee making facilities, mini-bar, laptop sized safe and trouser press.
For business travellers, floors nine and ten have executive rooms, which offer more facilities than the standard rooms. For a £30 room supplement guests will have free wifi access, free local telephone calls, bathrobe and slippers, upgraded amenities, an Espresso machine and a Bose iPod dock.
The three suites, which are around 56sqm, have two flatscreen televisions, king-size beds, huge bathrooms and as well as the usual gadgets, they offer a Bose Wave CD player and radio.
To get to the hotel from Paddington Railway Station, head towards the end of platform 8 (the opposite end from the Hilton) and follow the signs for Sheldon Square and Kingdom Street. After around five minutes, turn left at the bridge and enter Paddington Central. The hotel is hard to miss as its exterior is a shimmering wall of copper, gold and bronze – the work of architects Dexter Moren Assosciates who have designed other hotels for other brands including Marriott, Holiday Inn, Travelodge and Ibis.
For room rates and more information visit novotel.com.
Report by Felicity Cousins
